Link and Zelda : a Return to Hyrule
by Lazulioneal
Summary: A new adventure with Link and a party of 5 to track down and eliminate the new evil from Hyrule. Based on the Nintendo LoZ games, and using characters from Nsiders at the Nintendo Nsider Forums. All permissions obtained.


Chapter 1 : Creek Woods Garden

The swirling deep blue mist parted and a slight figure stepped from it's shadows into the stillness of the silent garden. While the greying mist spread and dissapated itself into the freshing breeze, she stood, waiting, as the ordinary evening sounds slowly returned. Her long unbound hair snapped across her face in the final gust that took the last of the living mist away, but still, she stood unmoving until, once again, the serenade of the tree frogs and crickets filled the air around her.

Only then, did she breath deeply of the gloaming, as the twilight blurred into absolute darkness lit only by the cold silver moon, cool white stars above, and their reflection in that portion of the small pond not covered with the night-blooming water lily. The beloved, familiar scent tugged at her heart, causing a slight smile to curve her lips with the memories it pulled from the depths where her mind had buried them. She tilted her face up, and her eyes drifted shut as she drew another deep breath, parting her lips to taste and savor the tropical blooms and memories long supressed.

She knew she was no longer alone in the darkness when the crisp breeze brought a new scent to touch her senses with another memory. She turned, slowly, and he was there, standing behind her, deep in the shadows, watching her. She arched a brow inquiringly, " I see that you have had the dreadful manners to still be lingering on this earth."

He waited a moment, simply looking at her beauty, the true center of his heart, she was; then walked slowly from the darkness, into the moon's pale light. He stopped at arms length from her, and grinned, "That depends on your point of view, you know."

She looked up into his eyes and a smile of delight curved her lips. "You haven't changed a bit, Link!", she laughed. She reached out placing her palm on his forearm as her smile faded she whispered, "Will you come back to Hyrule, with me?"

He took her small hand in his much larger one and squeezing it gently, he moved closer to stand by her side, quietly saying, only, "Tell me."

Chapter 2 : Creek Woods Hall

"We don't know much, so far, but this is what has happened....", her voice carried faintly as they walked through the rose arches from the garden towards the well lit Hall.

A rustling in the massive old oak tree by the wall preceded the small, soft thud, of four paws landing on top of the twelve foot high wall, which surrounded the garden. It was the oldest structure on the property, being there long before the Hall was built, and constructed with only the largest field stones from the surrounding countryside. Still, unshakably sturdy after all these years, the three foot wide top provided ample room for the big cat to pad along, keeping pace with the two Hyrulians as they passed the turning for the barracks and approached the torch-lit entrance to the main Hall. The tawny furred beast stopped, sitting on the very corner, front paws under the creeping ivy which topped this part of the wall, and watched the pair pass by the smoking torches of the building's entryway.

As Link and Zelda walked into the main Hall, Link called to his steward for a meal to be prepared, then brought Zelda down to the old oak tressel table at the far end. He seated her at the end and she watched as he took down a charred iron poker and began to poke at the logs burning in the huge stone fireplace.

She hesitated a moment, then pressed on," I....I know you've done a lot for me...for Hyrule. More than your share, actually."

"It's not that....", he glanced at her, then continued to assault the logs, causing a large number of sparks to fly up the flue. One landed on the already sooty hearth, and he toed it with his comfortably worn leather boot, before it flared out. "I want to bring a small party of fighters from my school on this. It's past time for some of them to be on their own, and a few have skills which could be useful. I think...hmm...no more than 5 volunteers, would be about right. Don't worry, though, I'll only tell the volunteers the full details, not the whole school."

At that moment, the steaming hot food arrived, looking wonderful and smelling delicious. While Zelda helped herself to various dishes at the table, Link spoke to his steward, again, "Have the school assemble here in the Hall, in an hour." He turned back to the food-laden table and sat by Zelda, grinning, "Are you gonna eat all that?" He looked at her plate pointedly, then back at her, arching a brow in question. She look down at her over-filled heaping plate, than burst out laughing, "It all just looks so good, I want to try everything." They ate, sitting comfortably together, talking over old times, remembering old friends, and the hour passed more quickly than either realized.

A sudden thundering noise of many booted feet drew their attention to the double-doored entryway, as dozens of fighters poured into the Hall, laughing, pushing and shoving good-naturedly.Link stood, slowly, as one man seperated from the group, and walked up to the table. Link shook his hand, "Everyone here?" "Yes, sir, they're all here, even the pipsqueak, over there", he indicated a small figure, standing defiantly at the edge of the group. "He thought he wasn't coming, but I told him...you said EVERYONE."

Link walked to the front of the group and the crowded room suddenly silenced, but for a few hurried whispers, which also fell away, quickly. "I had you all assemble here, first to tell you that I'm leaving tomorrow on a mission for the kingdom, and secondly to ask for a few volunteers to come with me." He smiled wryly as several hands shot up immediately and a voice, he recognized, could be heard from the back of the Hall. "Me...ME...PICK ME!"

"I appreciate all of your enthusiasum, but let me tell you first, what the problem is. Last week, large numbers of Gerudos have begun invading eastern Hyrule, and we have reason to believe that it may only be a distraction from a larger evil. The Knights of Hyrule have been dispatched to deal with the Gerudos, while I will take a small group to stop the real enemy. I have every confidence in every person here, but I'm only taking 5 of you with me. The rest of you will be free of duties here, until I return. Anyone who wishes to join the Knights can head to eastern Hyrule as soon as we are done here."

Link paused a moment, looked back at Zelda, then, turned back to the room and said quietly, "Now......volunteers...?

Chapter 3 : Eastern Hyrule

The weary Knights paused at the top of the last rise before Eastern Palace Town. All seven of them were silent in the cold darkness, simply looking down at the quiet village lights flickering warm and inviting in the valley below. "We can't stop, you know...", Muku glanced at the others, before turning her horse, regretfully, back to the dreary post road. "We have to press on, to the Palace, and advise the Local Knight of the situation." She let the others pass by on the eight foot wide trail, then continued after, the faint jingle and creak of leather from the horses, the only sound, as they made their way down into the valley.

A few minutes later, the trail narrowed a bit, where it cut through a corner of the Old Eastern Forest, and skirted the edge of a dense thicket of thorny aidawood which was starting to overgrow the dirt road. The horses, well aware of the painful irritation of the thorn's scratch, shied nervously to the other side of the trail, eager to avoid the long, sharp points. As they filed past, Pitfan dropped back to Muku's position, "Wasn't the Knght here, only recently dispatched? Who was sent out?"

Before she could answer, the soft patter of rain on the summer leaves overhead, began, quickly increasing to seep through the spicy eastern bay trees and wet the travelers. Muku closed her eyes, looked up a moment, and let the cold raindrops, sweetened by the bay leaves, wash over her face. She opened her eyes to the darkness of the trail, again, taking her turn passing the aidawood thicket, "Groudonman was chosen for the assignment. He was sent out a few weeks ago to take over, after we received several reports of recent local disturbances in the community."

Pitfan followed her past the thorns, then rode up on her side again, "It's usually very peaceful in this part of the Kingdom, and here, this was the third full-on Gerudo attack in under a month. It doesn't make sense. We've had the treaty for a few years now, and no problems at all." They rode out from the shelter of the forest trees into the steady downpour that had developed in the last few minutes, and almost immediately everyone was soaked. "Yes", Muku stared ahead at the muddied road before them, "And, now Groudonman will have his hands full right off the mark." Neither of them said anything more, as exhaustion from the constant travel over the last week, once again, settled like the rain on them.

All conversation ceased now and they continued on, each in their own thoughts. Just as they approached the last turning of the road before the town, TSA, ahead of everyone else, suddenly raised his hand, halting the party. "I heard something", he said in a low voice, looking back at the others. The others quickly laid hands on their weapons and for a minute they stood still, on the tired horses, the rain dripping steadily off them, as they strained to hear anything over the downpour. Then, through the patter of the rain, they all heard the soft hiss of drawn steel, close by, just before a half dozen Gerudos, on foot, sprang on them from the darkness.

TSA spurred his horse around to the rear of the attackers, to cut off any retreat, and slashed at the nearest Gerudo with his longsword, the force of it causing a deep gash through her shoulder. Off balanced, the Gerudo stumbled, then straightened and swung around. The sounds of battle surrounded them, steel on steel clashing, and the less obvious impact of flesh wounds. Screaming a loud challenge, the Gerudo leapt at TSA, face twisted in anger and pain, stabbing at his leg with a knife and swinging a sword up towards his chest with the other hand. He felt the slice of the knife as he deflected the sword, and quickly turned his longsword down, using both hands pressed it down through the malicious Gerudo's heart. He used his booted foot to push the dead Gerudo off his sword, and leaving the body as it fell, turned to help the others, finding the short battle all but over.

The Knights, all dismounted now, had surrounded Pitfan and the last Gerudo still alive. Pitfan was about to finish it, as TSA rode up, "Wait, don't kill this one. We'll take a hostage and conduct an interrogation later." The Gerudo spat at TSA, and snarled, "Nothing you can do will be effective on me.", and never even saw the punch Pitfan laid in, before crumpling, unconscious, to the ground. The Knights quickly searched the bodies and relieved them of any useful equipment, then, leaving the Gerudos where they lay, continued with the hostage strapped to one of the packhorses. An hour later, they rounded the last bend and halted when the Palace came into view. They all just stared, until Muku spoke, quietly, "Any suggestions how we get through that ugly looking mob?"


End file.
